Draft rigging



l. O. WRIGHT DRAFT RIGGING Nov 13, 1923.

Filed March 15. 1920 iiatented Nov. 13, 1%23.

entree Linnea caries.

IRA O. WEIGHT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE '11. H. SYMINGTON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N: Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DRAFT RIGGING.

Application filed march 15, 1920. Serial no. 365,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA O. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore. in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland; have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to draft rigging for,

railway cars and more particularly to a new and improved form of stop mechanism designed particularly for use in connection with a key-connected coupler. The principal object of my invention is to provide means for strengthening and reinforcing the draft or centersills of a car adjacent the point where the coupler is connected to the cushioning mechanism.

Tothese and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanyin drawings,- Fi re 1 is a view lialf in top plan and half in section showing a draft rigging embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a draft rig "rig side plate or stop casting showing t 0 same connected to the sill and illustrating in dotted lines the improved form of reinforcing means, certain portions of the car framing being shown in section; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of one draft or center sill having my improvement applied thereto.

Throughout the specification and draw.- ings like parts are designated by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates a coupler the rearward end of which is positioned between the forward ends of a pair of draft or center sills '2, 2. 3 designates the striking casting which may be of any form desired, and 4 indicates a conventional form of carry iron, and 5 a portion of the car end framin projecting upwardly from the sills 2 2. he rear end of the coupler 1 is operatively connected to a yokeoreq'uivalent mechanism 6 by means of a transversely ing. I

13 the rearwardly directed faces of which in the normal position of the draft rigging are coincident with the rear face of the coupler 1. The forward ends of the cheek plates or stop lugs are connected to the striking casting 3, as shown. tween the stop shoulders 13 and the closed end 14: of the yoke there is provided a cushioning mechanism 15 diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 by the crossed lines 16, the space between the faces 13 and 14 being adapted to receive any of the well known forms of cushioning mechanisms now commonly employed.

The inner end 17 of the yoke 6 is adapted normally to abut against the forward face of a stop castin 18 which preferably combines in a sing e structure a stop casting, a sill connecting means and a centerbeardeem the combination of my improved. stop mechanism hereinafter more fully described anda yoke member held from rearward movement by a centrally arranged stop one of the novel combinations of my invention.

Each of the stop lugs 12 is provided with a slotted opening 19 which registers with the slots 10 in the sills. It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 that the inner ends of the said slots 10. and 19 are spaced but a. short distance from the inner faces of the stop lugs 13, and it has been found that the bearing afforded by these stop lugs is insufficientyand that in case of damage to the yoke or cushioning mechanism or to-the member which holds the cushioning mechanism from rearward. movement, that excessive movement of the draw bar willresult in the key breaking through the inner end of the stop lugs and seriously damaging bot h the stop lugs and the sills. To obviatethis'difiiculty Ipropose to apply to the exterior-faces of each sill an additional stop memberwhich may and preferably does comprise a U-shapedm'em ber 20 extending in rear of the slot 10 and Interposed bewill be noted that I have so constructed the exterior member 20 that the rivets 11 which serve to connecteach draft lug 12 to the sills also serve to connect each member 20 to the adjacent sill. The open slotted end of the U-shaped member 20 terminates short of the striking casting and car end framing, as shown. Each member 20 may if desired be provided with a rearwardly extending portion 23 which maybe connected to the adjacent draft sill by means ofthe rivets 24. The inner ends of the said rivets 24 are preferably countersunk in the draft sills to prevent the rivet heads from engaging with any portion of the cushioning mechanism 15.

It will be observed that the inner ends of the slots in the draft lugs 12, in the mem bers 20, and in the sills 2 coincide, and it will therefore be obvious that when the key 7 is moved rearwardly there will be provided for the said key an extended hearing equal to the width of each draft lug and to the width of each member 20 plus the width of each draft or center sill 2. These slots are so arranged that at the time the coupler key is in contact with the rear ends thereof the cushioning mechanism has been moved to its limit of travel, and by this arrangement itwill be observed that all loads in excess of the capacity of the cushioning mechanism are divided between three oints on the car sills. the bearing face ot each stop lugand the adjacent member 20 being considered as one.

"The flanges 21' of-the members 20 relieve the draft sills from wear of the coupler key due to its longitudinal movement, anl the outer faces of the said flanges also relieve' the sills from the wear of the head orwasher which are respectively provided on opposite ends of the key 7 Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills. of a yoke member, a coupler connected thereto, a cushioning mechanism including a follower, cheek plates connected to the interior faces of the saidsills and provided with key slots, each of said cheek plates having a follower engaging shoulder, reinforcing means including a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs, a pair of said ribs lying on opposite sides of the slot in the cheek plate, and slotted plates connected to the exterior face of said sills, each of said second mentioned plates Lawson having a web. and outwardly projecting flange substantially surrounding the slot therein, a portion of said outwardly projecting flange being arranged in transverse alinement with the key engaging face of the adjacent cheek plate.

2..ln a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills, of a yoke member, a coupler connected thereto, a cushioning mechanism, cheek plate connected to the interior faces of said sills and provided with key slots, each of said check plates having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by the forward portion of the cushioning mechanism, means fol-reinforcing said shoulders including longitudinally disposed ribs. portions of some of said ribs lying adjacent the slots in said check plates. and latcs connected to the exterior faces of said sills and associated with said cheek plates, each of said second mentioned plates having an outwardly projecting flange formed with :1 key engaging portion, said key engaging portion being arranged in alinement with tlie key engaging face of the adjacent cheek p ate.

3. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills, of a yoke member. a coupler connected thereto. acushioning mechanism, cheek plates connected to the interior faces of said sills and provided with key slots, each of said check plates including a web and an inwardly extending flange adapted to be engaged by the forward portion of the cushioning mechanism, means for reinforcing said flange, and members connected to the exterior facesof said sills, and associated with said cheek plates, said members having an outwardly extending flange. the rear portion of said flange formin a key engagin'g face arranged coincident. with the key engaging face of the adjacent cheek plate.

4. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft sills, of a yoke. a coupler connected thereto, a cushioning mechanism, cheek plates connected to the inner faces of said sills, each of said check plates including a web and an inwardly extending flange" adapted to be engaged by the forward portion of the cushioning mechanism, longitudinally arranged reinforcing ribs uniting said web and flange. and an outer U-shaped member connected to the exterior face of each sill, said U-shaped members 'each having a relatively wide outwardly projecting flange reinforced at one end to form a key bearing surface, said reinforced end being disposed in transverse alinement with the ktleyt engaging face of the adjacent cheek p a e.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature.

IRA. O. VVRKGHT.

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